At the end of the month, do you wonder what happened to your money? Are you regularly tempted to spend when you have a few extra dollars in your pocket? Spending and savings habits are directly linked to financial stability. Understanding how and where you spend money is important for financial success, especially in tough economic times.

One important step for managing your household budget is to formulate a spending plan for your money. Use the following steps to develop your family’s spending plan:

The purpose of insurance is to protect against the unknown by providing financial security when the unexpected happens. Many people receive health insurance through their employers, but individuals who are self-employed, retired or who have too little or unaffordable coverage should purchase insurance on their own.

Cold weather is louse weather for livestock. Inadequate nutrition, compromised immune response and shipping stress also favor outbreaks, if there are any infested animals in the herd.

Biting and sucking lice have been associated with reduced weight gains and general lack of thriftiness during periods of greatest winter stress. These small external parasites can spread quickly through a herd as animals bunch for warmth or when feeding.

This Saturday is our 4-H fundraiser, which is a vendor fair at the Relevant Church gymnasium from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. There will be local honey, jewelry, homemade crafts, skin care products, toys, candles, laundry detergent and more items. Please come out and visit our local vendors, which not only benefits them, but the 4-H program as well.

Hello, since this is my first article for the paper I wanted to thank everyone I’ve met in the community and at the Carroll County Extension Office for the warm welcomes and offers of support in my new position as Family and Consumer Science Agent. There are many folks to meet and opportunities yet to come, and I look forward to them all!

At the beginning of January many of us made resolutions and set goals around health, such as eating healthier, becoming more fit or losing weight.

Most children are introduced to “man’s best friend” early in life, but oftentimes a dog’s care, training and upkeep are chores left to their parents. The 4-H dog program offers young dog enthusiasts the opportunity to learn about all aspects of canines and strengthen the bond between them.